Gun shot fired at Golden Temple from outside leads to panic among devotees

Amritsar: Panic gripped visiting devotees at the Golden Temple at Amritsar on Thursday after an SGPC employee had a close shave with a bullet that was allegedly fired from outside the compound.

Some unidentified person had fired the bullet from outside which hit the SGPC employee, Gurpreet Singh, who was on duty in the marbled periphery of Golden Temple around the pool of nectar (water pool), Commissioner of Police Jatinder Singh Aulakh said.

The bullet first hit Gurpreet Singh's multi-layered turban, then pierced his jacket leaving minor rashes on his chest, the commissioner said.

Aulkah also suspected that the .315 calibre gun shot was fired near the Jallianwalla Bagh and said such bullets were very dangerous if fired from close range.

He said that forensic experts were called in to assess the situation.

It seems that someone had fired in air but it was crime since it could have hurt or injured somebody, the commissioner said.

He said that a team of experts was also pressed into service to find out the person who fired gunshot and intention behind the fire towards the Golden Temple.